Diagnostic Heart Testing

An Accurate Diagnosis Is the First Step

Correctly diagnosing a heart defect or the cause of your child's symptoms is the first and most important step toward ensuring he or she receives the most appropriate and effective heart care. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital provides expert diagnostic services for children with congenital heart disease and other medical problems that may affect the heart. We use noninvasive testing whenever possible and provide your child's care in a friendly, comforting environment, using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools.

Exceptional Experience: Children of all ages come to us from across the country and around the world for our care. We perform thousands of echocardiograms (including three-dimensional echocardiography), electrocardiograms, diagnostic catheterizations, imaging exams, and other tests of heart function and anatomy. Our areas of expertise include the diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease, advanced myocardial function analysis, guidance of interventional procedures, heart monitoring during surgery, and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart. Our heart specialists are experts at interpreting the results of these tests to make an accurate diagnosis for your child.

Fetal Echocardiography: Many congenital heart defects are found during pregnancy. Our children's hospitals are renowned for the expert performance of fetal echocardiography. If your unborn child is found to have a heart defect, we have special programs to provide monitoring of your child throughout your pregnancy, and we can link you with the specialists you need to customize a plan of care for your baby after delivery.

Diagnosis of Abnormal Heart Rhythm: In addition to invasive electrophysiologic studies, our team performs noninvasive diagnostic procedures in children with palpitations or syncope (fainting or temporary loss of consciousness). These procedures include electrocardiograms, 24-hour Holter monitoring, event recorders, and stress testing to determine if there is an abnormal heart rhythm.

Pediatric Exercise Testing: NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has one of the few dedicated pediatric cardiopulmonary exercise laboratories in the New York metropolitan area. We use exercise testing to study the function and interaction of your child's heart, lungs, and muscles at rest and during intense exercise. These tests may help identify the cause of chest pain, evaluate heart and lung fitness, assess heart function after surgery, detect arrhythmias, monitor drug effectiveness, or determine whether it is safe for your child to participate in regular physical activities.

We'll schedule your child's heart tests at a time that is convenient for your family, and our cardiologists will share the results with you and your pediatrician promptly.